Hey, Rasheed! I guess we’ll see you Friday night after all. Wallace’s record on "guarant-sheeds" dropped to 3-1 after the Cavaliers squared the best of seven series with the Pistons at 2, with a 74-72 victory last night at the "Q". The wine and gold did something I didn’t think they were capable of, that is match up with the physical and mental intensity Detroit has. They held serve, and now it’s a best of three series.
The two wins in Cleveland show how the team has grown throughout the season. The beat the Wizards in a series dictated by offense, outscoring Washington in games where the winner had to score 100 points. Now, they have shifted gears to the defensive end, beating Detroit in games that are decidedly slower in tempo. Many thought LeBron and the boys could not win this type of game, but here we are with a split of the first four games.
The Cavs are still a decided underdog in this series, and I agree with that evaluation. The Pistons have the experience and the talent. They may be the best team in the NBA this season. Two of the remaining three games are in Detroit, where the Pistons are 42-4 so far this season. How can the Cavs win at The Palace?
The one thing different about this team than past Cavs teams in the playoffs, is that this time Cleveland has THE MAN. They have the best player on the floor. If James has one of those games where he scores 40+ points, who knows. That’s probably the only chance the wine and gold have to win in Detroit.
We also should give Mike Brown some kudos for making the series competitive. His offense is still simplistic, but he has everyone buying into the system. That’s the biggest compliment you can give an NBA head coach. He has handled the Z situation beautifully. He still starts the big man, thus taking care of his ego, but has gone with more of a quicker line up featuring Anderson Varajao in the middle. That’s something some members of the media (RODA) don’t understand.
The Cavaliers keep making progress, taking positive steps, getting better as a team. Cleveland has taken it to at least six games. A successful season for a team’s first year in the playoffs.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 